Roller skating has been a beloved pastime enjoyed by generations of kids and adults alike. It’s hard to believe that the first use of roller skates was in a London stage performance way back in 1743!
John Joseph Merlin, a London resident in 1760, deserves the credit for inventing the first skates. Roller skates have certainly come a long way since then!
In the United States, roller skating gained popularity as a pastime in 1935. But it wasn’t until the introduction of skating rinks playing disco music in the 1970s that roller skating became a huge trend. It seemed like everyone wanted to hit the rinks and groove to the music!
Speaking of roller skating, let’s take a trip down memory lane. Do you remember those heavy metal skates that you could attach to your shoes? They were quite the fashion statement back in the day. But there’s something else that you might remember if you were a skater before the 1970s – the iconic skate key.
This copper-colored object was an essential accessory for anyone with roller skates. At first glance, it may look like a bottle opener or some kind of tool, but it is actually a skate key. With the skate key, you could adjust the size of your skates by fitting it into the back of the pair. And to make sure they didn’t get lost while skating, most people wore the key around their necks. It was a small but significant part of the roller skating experience.
Skate keys were such an integral part of roller skating that there have even been songs written about them! They symbolize a time when roller skating was a cherished activity, filled with fun and memories.
So, do you remember skate keys? We’d love to hear your skating stories on our Facebook page. Let’s share this delightful blast from the past with others who may have fond memories of roller skating and skate keys too!
With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of
He discussed Angela’s breakthrough moment with her husband, Ken, a former Sun photographer.
A girl was on page three. Yesterday marked the end of Angela Jay’s brief battle with lung cancer.
She was always inside The Sun in the early 1980s.
She also starred in advertisements for boxer Henry Cooper’s Brut Aftershave and Gossard lingerie.
Beside her husband Ken, she passed away in an Eastbourne, East Sussex, hospital. Her age was seventy-one.
He described her as “the perfect girl next door” and described her as a “dared to dream miner’s daughter from the northern pits.”
After moving to Manchester, Angela was noticed by a modeling agency, according to Ken, a 79-year-old former photographer for The Sun. Her birthplace was Sunderland.
“She knew she couldn’t stay there and marry a miner,” he added.
“After she relocated to Manchester, a modeling agency noticed her.”
She was really skilled at it from the start. Very youthful-looking.
Angela was almost prepared to leave. Many of the models require two hours to prepare.
“She looked beautiful even though she was wearing jeans and a dirty t-shirt when I first saw her.”
“I knew she was the one at that point.”
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